


The One Thing They Got Right

by SmolPidge



Category: Fire Emblem Echoes: Mou Hitori no Eiyuu Ou | Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Genre: Basically they're both being dorks, Because they don't know how romance works, Boey-centric, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-29
Updated: 2017-06-29
Packaged: 2018-11-20 21:03:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11343135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmolPidge/pseuds/SmolPidge
Summary: With the kids fast asleep, Boey and Mae get a chance to discuss everything they've gotten wrong and the one thing they didn't.





	The One Thing They Got Right

It wasn’t often that Boey had the chance to stargaze; he was always too busy working or taking care of the kids to do little else other than that, after all. Mae had graciously given him the day off, however, after he had passed out at breakfast that morning. Now that he had slept through the day, he was wide awake by the time the sun had begun to set. He could only imagine the hell his wife must’ve dealt with while he was asleep, but he figured that he might as well take advantage of this time to himself, especially since the next one certainly wouldn’t come anytime soon.

Therefore, he was now sitting atop a nearby hill on a blanket he had taken from the bed (Mae would surely tell him off for that later), staring up at the sky. It was a little cloudy, so he couldn’t see too well, but at least he could enjoy the silence. It was so quiet, in fact, that even the sneakiest footsteps called his attention.

He hadn’t told anyone when he slipped out of the house, but Mae must’ve noticed where’d he’d gone at some point because she was now heading in his direction. Even if she hadn’t, Novis wasn’t a particularly big island, and a quick look past the front yard would’ve easily given away his location.

_Oh great, she’s probably here for the blanket…_

Boey was already getting ready to defend himself, but one look at her told him that she wasn’t going to put up a fight this time. Profound bags lined the bottom of her eyes, her signature pig tails had come undone, and it seemed she was struggling to make it over to him without dragging her feet too much.

“Are they all asleep?” he asked in a hushed voice as she approached him. Despite them being a fair bit away from the house, he was afraid that speaking any higher would trigger the waking of their youngest son and his subsequent howling. The fact that he was merely four months old didn’t seem to affect his incredible hearing abilities.

“Should be.” Mae sighed, stretching her arms out before laying down next to her husband. “And if they aren’t, I’m sure as hell not going back in there again.”

“I wouldn’t blame you,” he said. “Those four are a lot to handle.”

“We have _five_ children, Boey.”

“Right.”

Cracking her neck, Mae then sat up and leaned her head on Boey’s shoulder, staring off at nothing in particular. “Do you think we’re bad parents?”

“Honestly? The absolute worst,” Boey admitted.

“Thought so.”

They stayed that way for a good while, occasionally breaking the silence with a cough thanks to the chilly night air. It’s true that they were anything but an exemplary family. The pair’s constant bickering and their kids’ extreme rowdiness (their genes hadn’t split the way they wished they would’ve) created a scene wherever they went and was always causing some sort of disturbance.

Part of the reason they lived in the outskirts of the main village was to escape from potential complaining neighbors and judging eyes. Celica never failed to assure them that raising a family wasn’t easy and that they were only experiencing a few bumps in the road, but Boey knew she was just saying that to make them feel better. The truth was that they were a mess. The most they could do was try their best and deal with everything one day at a time.

“Do you think I’m a bad wife?” Mae suddenly whispered, bringing her knees closer to her chest.

Shocked by the question, Boey looked down at her to make sure she wasn’t merely joking. Unfortunately, she seemed to be dead serious. Pausing for a moment, he hesitantly responded with, “Not any more than I am a bad husband.”

“You’re not a bad husband.”

“Then you’re not a bad wife,” Boey concluded.

Mae, on the other hand, didn’t appear to be done with the topic. “It’s just...” she began, taking her head off Boey’s shoulder. “It seems that all we ever do is fight.”

“That’s been our thing for forever, though,” Boey tried to assure her in some way. “Alm and Celica fight, and they’re the king and queen!”

“But not nearly as much as we do,” she pressed. “We’re the only couple who takes it to the extent we do. Don’t try to deny that.”

Boey could tell Mae was legitimately distressed at that point. She tried to cover it up, but he could tell she was trying hard to push back tears.

“Well, okay. Maybe we _do_ fight a lot. So what?”

“Doesn’t it bother you?”

“Why would it?”

“Because it’s not _normal!_ Hell, we’re doing it right now!” Mae exclaimed loudly, immediately covering her mouth afterwards with wide eyes. Boey even went as far as covering her hands with his own as if it would somehow be extra effective in preventing the hell that would surely ensue if any of the kids woke up.

They remained there for a few moments, paralyzed in fear, no matter how silly it may have appeared to anyone else. Eventually, the two gave a sigh of relief as nothing seemed to have changed. It was then that they couldn’t help but give a light chuckle at their shared panic.

“I’m sorry,” Mae apologized soon thereafter. “I know I’m probably just being ridiculous, but I sometimes fear that you’ll wake up one day, regretting marrying me.”

Boey simply grabbed hold of one edge of the blanket and wrapped it around himself and Mae, edging closer to her in order to enjoy her warmth. “You know fully well I’d never do that,” he assured her calmly, taking her hands in his. “We’ve lasted this long, right?”

It was the first time Boey had said that aloud, but he had thought it many times before. Their tenth anniversary would be upon them in no time, and not once had either of them discussed a possible separation. No matter how often they fought or how loud their voices got, that had never been an option. Whatever they did, they did together, and Boey couldn’t imagine it any other way. He would even go as far as to say that those ten years had been his happiest. The couple had made endless mistakes and been a participant in countless disasters, but their marriage was not one of them.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Mae finally conceded, making herself cozy against his shoulder once again.

“Besides,” Boey added, giving her a quick peck on the cheek closest to him. “Imagine the custody battles we’d have to go through.”

“Boey!” Mae half-yelled, half-laughed. It wasn’t until after a sharp cry erupted from beyond the hill that she realized her mistake.

“That was your fault~” Boey mischievously grinned.

“Oh, c’mon, we just had an emotional moment!” Mae cried, not bothering to lower her voice any longer.

“I had the day off, though, remember?” Boey didn’t let off.

“I never said anything about the night~” Mae found a loophole and held on to it for dear life. Surely, whoever went back into the house would lose a couple years of their lifetime.

“But-”

“Boey, I swear, if you don’t go in there right this second I’ll summon up some lightning to make you!” Mae threatened, already pulling out her tome from her pocket. Boey rarely carried his around anymore, but considering this wasn’t the first time Mae had tried to pull off this stunt, he had to remind himself that it was worth the extra weight the next time he got dressed.

Scrambling to his feet, Boey managed a curt, “Yes, ma’am! Love you!” before scuttling off.

“I love you too!” Mae called after him, already preparing to sleep outside for the night. “Good luck!”


End file.
